Shelby Sees The States!: Howdy from Houston!

Hey y'all!

Hmm. Even typing out phrases like "howdy" and "y'all" seem so foreign to me. As a New Yorker, I just don't think this southern slang will fit in my regular conversation! But visiting the south has been fun- I just spent the last week visiting the happenin' city of Houston, Texas!

You may be wondering (or not, I'm sure no one has even noticed), it's been a little bit since I've posted about some cities. I took a little hiatus, yes, but not because I forgot to write. Simply, I visited cities where absolutely nothing exciting happened or I was there for such a short amount of time. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Beaumont, Texas, were two cities on our itinerary where, to put it nicely, I had nothing exciting to write about. I didn't even take pictures in either place- I figured most people would know what a hotel bed, laptop with Netflix, and piles of food would look like. I know, I feel like I was slacking, but now I'm back, and actually have things to write about! Hooray!

I arrived in Houston a day after Super Bowl Sunday- I know die-hard sports fans don't mess around, but this was a whole new level of craziness! The people and the city were decked out in their Super Bowl best. I'm not a huge follower of sports myself, but it was neat to see how much one town was affected by one event. Our venue in Houston was even right next to where the Super Bowl was held- our company joked that Lady Gaga was actually the opening act for Sesame Street Live.

It was so refreshing to be in a city again, and have endless options of things to do! My days off were much needed and busier than I expected- I didn't realize how much there actually was to do in Houston. I got to experience some of the popular sites of Houston locals, like Buc-ee's and the Galleria Mall, and some tourist spots as well.

The Houston Zoo was the perfect spot to spend a free afternoon- especially when it was sunny, 80 degrees, and on a day when the zoo had free public admission! I've seen plenty of zoos, and this one ranked just as nicely. Most importantly, they had giraffes and soft serve ice cream; that's pretty much all I need to have a pleasant zoo experience!

Another one of my days off was spent at NASA exploring the Johnson Space Center. I've never experienced anything like it, and to say I was impressed was an understatement! If you ever find yourself in the Houston area, this is definitely a number one destination to check out. I don't know much about astronomy, spacecraft technology or history, but everything was explained at a level that was easy enough to understand. There was so much to take in, whether it was facts or visuals- I took a lot of pictures and definitely learned some new things! I wish I had even more time at the center- it's really a place to spend your whole day. I was absolutely blown away by the level of detail in the exhibits, and the massive size of the center. Seeing rockets up close and personal really puts into perspective how small an individual person is, and how so much wonder and beauty lies in our universe!

My favorite part of the past week was being able to meet up with my wonderful friend, Chelsea- we've known each other since we were about eight or nine years old, and we danced together for over a decade! I moved to New York almost two years ago, and she moved to Houston at roughly the same time. It's hard to believe time flies so fast, but it was about that long since we last saw each other! She was able to show me around town, I tried some amazing meals, and we chatted about home and where we are now- we picked up right where we left off! I have loved touring, but it's definitely hard at times. I often miss home and familiar faces, and it was so comforting to spend time with someone in the same boat. She was even able to attend one of my shows, which meant THE WORLD to me- there's nothing like knowing someone in the audience, especially in an unfamiliar city! I'm blessed to have made so many wonderful new friends on tour, but there really isn't anything like spending time with an old friend. So Chelsea, if you're reading this, thank you for making my entire week. I have always treasured our friendship and I always will, no matter where life leads us next. Our visits were a perfect pick-me-up along tour, and I'm so glad that our distance hasn't torn us apart. You are a beautiful friend, inside and out, and you'll always have a place to stay if you visit New York (or, if we're both in Buffalo, then that makes life so much easier and we'll be able to visit as easily as in our high school days)!

This past weekend was packed with eight shows, so my down time was pretty much just spent relaxing. I had a lot of fun earlier in the week, so I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. Houston was unexpectedly a city that I really enjoyed- plenty of amazing food and interesting things to do, fun times with friends, and all of our shows were crowded with enthusiastic audience members. I don't ever see myself living in the south, but Houston would definitely be a city I would come back to.

As usual, I'm not in one place for very long and it's time to move on- up next, Bossier City, Louisiana and Dallas, Texas! I'm turning into a southern girl (just kidding. I don't think that'll ever happen)!

Signing off from the Street,
Shelby

City #38- Cedar Rapids, Iowa*
City #39- Beaumont, Texas*
*no photos taken here- I'll have to rely on my memories!
City #40- Houston, Texas

#shelbyseesthestates